Three homes in Summerbridge, a place as lovely as its name

This is rather satisfying, since place-names can be very deceptive. Grewelthorpe, for example, has a name that suggests Dickensian levels of bleakness and misery, but the village itself must rank as one of the most picturesque in Yorkshire.

Conversely, there are some places whose names promise more than the places themselves deliver – but it’s perhaps best not to say which ones.

Summerbridge, though, sounds lovely and actually is lovely. Situated halfway between Pateley Bridge and the bottom end of Nidderdale, it is not just a pretty dormitory for Harrogate – it is still very much a “living” village and has many of the amenities that others in the Dales have lost.

It has Summerbridge stores, the Flying Dutchman pub, a hardware and tool shop, builders’ merchant, foot-care specialist, hair salon, tea rooms and, at New York Mills, a community of businesses ranging from a kitchen design firm to a laboratory services company.

There’s also a car repair garage, Methodist church and even a fire station staffed by local part-time firefighters.
The housing down the main street is mainly traditional, but there are also quite a lot of newer, more affordable family homes set back from it, so it comes as no surprise that the village also has a baby and toddler group, and the primary school has around 70 children on the roll.

Properties in this thriving village tend to be highly sought-after – maybe it’s something to do with the fabulous Nidderdale views – so it pays to move fast if you see something you like.

The following are three of the best homes currently for sale in the village.

Ivy Cottage is a stone-built end-of-terrace house on the northern edge of the village. It has three bedrooms – two of them doubles, one of them with fantastic views across Nidderdale – and a bathroom upstairs, two ground-floor reception rooms, and a good-sized dining kitchen on the lower ground floor which opens onto a decked patio. Outside, there’s an enclosed lawned garden with a parking space to the front, and a path leads down the side of the property to the back garden.

Further in towards the centre of the village, Plot 1 Poppy Fields is one of a brand-new development by Castellum Homes of 13 stone-built houses lining the main street, near the church. It has four bedrooms, two bathrooms, a study on the second floor, dining kitchen, living room and integral garage accessed via the utility room. Outside, there are private gardens and there is additional visitor parking available.

Finally, right in the heart of the village, 7 East View is also a stone-built cottage, right next-door to the garage. It has three bedrooms, a bathroom, kitchen with dining area, two reception rooms, conservatory, and a storage room below, on the lower ground floor. There’s a lawned garden to the rear, with a stone terrace and small vegetable plot, plus stunning views across Nidderdale.